2 Nics at once?

[DanJ]

My brother just bought an Audiotron (pretty cool btw) and wanted to connect his computer to it via the more readily availble phone line. He has a cable connection so he also has a NIC in it (generic one). All signs have pointed to that a Ethernet NIC and a HPNA (2.0) card are not working together, when one is enabled, the other is disabled. So..if the HPNA card (which doesn't need an internet connection, just allows the audiotron to see the computer) is enabled, the NIC looses connection (or sometimes fails to start) saying "network cable disconnected." I've switched slots but to no avail. The computer is running Windows 2000 on an IWill KK266-R and is using ACAPI

Is there anyway to have them live in harmony? I can get the audiotron to work if the NIC is disabled, and the internet will work if the HPNA is disabled (via device manager disabling and restarting)

 

[jaggrey]

Can he hook up the Audiotron via ethernet instead of the phone line?

I tried hooking up a home phoneline/ethernet card w/my current ethernet card and it never worked for some reason. The ethernet part of it worked fine though.

 

[DanJ]

He could use Ethernet but he didn't want to run a long cord down his hallways..since he's in an apartment. The phone line setup worked fine (after much frigging) but like I said only one or the other works at a time.

Any other suggestions?

 

[jaggrey]

They also might be fighting to use the same IRQ.....try upgrading the drivers. Windows 98?

 

[DanJ]

Windows 2000...using unfortunetly ACAPI....I've tried switching both slots..one blue screened...one locked at start...so they seem the happiest (I guess) where they're at. Anyway to disable ACAPI w/o re-installing the OS?

 

[jaggrey]

do you mean ACPI?

 

[DanJ]

Hehe...yeah that's what I meant

 

[jaggrey]

I think it installs it by default if it detects that the system is compatible. As far as disabling it.....i dunno. I never had a problem with it. You could also try looking in the BIOS and making sure that "Plug & Play Aware OS" is set to NO, even though Windows is. That way the BIOS assigns all the cards IRQs instead of Windows, which sometimes works better.

 

[DanJ]

But, besides that, there should be no real problem that these are conflicting? HPNA and Ethernet NICs can work together in the same computer without problem?

 

[jaggrey]

yea I did it.

 

[DanJ]

Huh...Well ya think a non-generic NIC would make any difference..? Perhaps I should pick up a Linksys Nic..or do you doubt that changing anything...? Somehow I doubt it helping...